Lupin is worse was 'Re: Are there no depths

[Renee]

No: HPFGUIDX 99421

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "mnaper2001" <mnaperrone at a...> 

Ally:
 
> Didn't JKR say Remus would play and important part in future 
books?  
> Everyone assumes its going to be something heroic or good, and I 
> generally did, too, but I do think its interesting that JKR has 
not 
> called too much attention to Remuses weakness.  She could be 
setting 
> us all up. . .

Renee: 

She could. But in that case, she'd be a liar. In the Albert Hall 
interview, quoted in post 98769 by Justine, JKR called Lupin 'a 
great man', and the other things she says about him confirm the 
positive connotation this phrase has (if anyone can give me a quote 
where it's used in a purely negative way, to denote a thoroughly bad 
guy, I may have to change my mind about it). 

JKR knows how many children and young adults devour everything she 
says about her own characters. I simply can't imagine she'd first 
tell them Lupin is one of the positive characters in the series, and 
then betray their trust by turning him into the exact opposite. My 
own kids believe her, and a Lupin turned evil would partly spoil the 
books for them. (And for me, too, though not as badly as a Snape who 
turns out to be on Voldemort's side after all.) 

Meanwhile, I do think the text as such allows for a Lupin-induced 
disaster. My impression is, that JKR has a better opinion of Lupin 
than he actually deserves. Which is a testimony to the power of her 
characterisation: In RL the person you admire can be the one your 
neighbour detests while still being the same person (I'm not talking 
about situations where the neighbour knows more about him). JKR has 
given Lupin a number of qualities she admires and one huge flaw. 
Some of her readers think the flaw overshadows the good qualities. 
But to me, it's apparent that she doesn't.

It's nice to play with possible developments. But I'll draw the line 
when I'm being asked to believe JKR is deliberately lying in order 
to present us with surprising plot twists. 

Renee